Bridgeton landfill fire raises enviromental concerns

BRIDGETON, Mo. (AP) - The Missouri Coalition for the Environment is calling on the state to air quality tests after a foul smell resulted from an underground landfill fire in the Bridgeton area of St. Louis County.

Coalition director Kat Logan-Smith told KMOX Radio that residents are complaining about health effects but are not getting any official information about what they are breathing.

It isn't clear how long the fire has been burning, but Logan-Smith says landfill fires can sometimes burn for years.

The Bridgeton Sanitary Landfill is adjacent to the West Lake Landfill, a site where nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project is stored. Logan-Smith says that makes the underground fire a public safety issue.